Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1887-06-24


+ oNA MINISTER'S soN WHOM SIZE LOVED
vAINIY-ms REFUSAL TO PLEAD An
AuB. AND wuY-THE TRUTH CANE OUT
i IN THE SUICIDE or TnE NURDEEER-1nE
WOMAN JUST DEAD.
Special 10 New YORK World.
BALTIMORE. June ia story
;of very exceptional interest-an
incident in real lite more peculiar
even than the plot of "Far from
the Madding Crowds given IN
a Harrisburg PA dispatch to the
Amerjcon. A local paper Of that
city mentioned the death of wO-
man named Ellen Gray in Omaha,
and noted the fact that her life, to
her Intimates there, seemed to have
been connected with some mystery.
The correspondent now gives the
curious details. The publication
of her death, he says, recalls a
crime committed many years ago,
in which she was a central figure.
One night in March, 1862, a far
mer named Heymann left the town
where, during the day, he had dis
\ posed OF lot OF sheep. He carried
the proceeds of his sales in heavy
leather saddle-bags. The money
was mostly in coin. Heymann did
not 60 armed, but rode from town
little under the influence of liq-
uor, but not drunk enough to call
attention 20 the fact. AS he lived
but twenty miles from the market,
he expected to reach home about
midnight. But when the morning
/ dawned Edward Heymann was
still absent from his farm. His
horse stood at the stable door, but
the saddle.bags were missing,
which gave rise to the suspicion of
foul play.
At distance OF FIVE miles from
home the body Of Heymann was
found lying by the roadside, and
not far away lay the saddle-bags
rihed of their contents. The mur-
derer, in his haste to get the mon
ey, had cut his way TO il instead of
unbuckling the straps. The far
mer when found was dead; one
side of his skull had been crushed
as if by a blow from bludgeOn or
some murderOus weapon of that
sort, and his pockets, Ike the sad
dle-bags, had been emptied.
Though the country was secured
for the perpetrators Of the deed no
traces were discovered, but a clue
was suddenly furnished in a start
ling manner.
ELLEN GRAY-s STORY.
The body of the farmer had been
discovered not tar from a farm
house occupied by family named
Gray, which consisted Of the par
ents and two children. Ellen
Gray came forward and desired to
make a statement, which she said
had tortured her ever since the
night of the murder. The girl
stated that she was up at the hour
of 11:30 on the night of the murder,
and that she heard horse coming
down the frosty road from the di-
rection of Harrisburg. Not regard
ing the sound Of any moment, she
was about TO Te-enter the house,
when she heard an oath, followed
by a fall and a grOan. Then she
heard a name uttered twice in a
tone Of mingled agony and suppl
cation. A moment later the sound
of hoofs came to her ears, and the
horse seemed to be gallOping to-
wards the Heymann farm.
1t was believed that the name
which she heard was that Of the
murdered, which had fallen from
the lips of the vi"tim before insen-
sihlity or death followed the blow.
The girl vlsibly hesitated when
asked by the magistrate to pro-
nounce the name. She covered
her face with her hands and in all
probability would have fallen
if she had not been supported by
her brother Hiram. She did not
like to utter the name that might
doom one of the young men Of her
acquaintance to the gallows, for
she could not believe him guilty,
vet she had heard Edward Hey.
mann call on him to spare his life.
She was pressed to mention the
name and further the ends OF
justice, in which the who le county
was interested, and at last her lips
parted.
"God help him and pity mew
she said. "The name ! heard was
Abner Tenney's."
If a th underbolt had fallen into
a crowd astOnIshment wOnld not
have been more complete. Men
started at the name and women
uttered cries that added to the con
fusion. Standing near the witness
was a young man Of fve-and-twen-
ty, the only son of minister who
watched over the little flock of his
believers that wOrshipped in the
village church hard by, and
I'll - .~oror1orvr ho okifq m tho